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Following a short delay, developer From Software has issued an update for the PC's Dark Souls Prepare to Die Edition that replaces its native Games for Windows Live functionality with a full suite of Steamworks components.

Additionally, from now until February 16, 2015, players will be able to transfer and update their original Dark Souls saves and achievements from Games for Windows Live to the new Steamworks version of the game. A full walkthrough on how to transfer your existing data is available on Steam. After February 16, the Steamworks version of Dark Souls Prepare to Die Edition will become the default version of the game and save transfers will no longer be possible.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bandai-namcodark-soulsgames-for-windows-livegfwlpcproject-darksteamsteamworksvalveMon, 15 Dec 2014 20:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/11/05/red-faction-guerrilla-opens-steamworks-public-beta/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/11/05/red-faction-guerrilla-opens-steamworks-public-beta/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/11/05/red-faction-guerrilla-opens-steamworks-public-beta/#commentsRed Faction: Guerrilla is the latest game to completely shed its Games for Windows Live coat, and will now begin testing full Steam support features, Nordic Games announced. The publisher invited players to participate in a public beta of the game's new Steam-based functionality, which includes matchmaking and multiplayer support via Steamworks. The game's public beta will also feature leaderboards, voice chat and achievements via Valve's PC gaming service.

Those interested in participating in the beta are instructed to follow this guide, selecting Red Faction: Guerrilla in step one and using the password "nordicrfgbeta" and the beta branch "publicbeta." First launching in 2009, Red Faction: Guerrilla was part of the $4.9 million set of intellectual properties purchased by Nordic Games in THQ's liquidation auction in April 2013, seeing itself as a "middle man" for potential sequels in its new series. The publisher told Joystiq at Gamescom in August that it's "not the right time" for Red Faction: Guerrilla 2.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Achievementsbetagames-for-windows-livegfwlleaderboardsmatchmakingmultiplayernordicnordic-gamespcpublic-betared-factionRed-Faction-GuerrillasteamSteamWorksVolitionWed, 05 Nov 2014 20:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/09/resident-evil-5-dead-rising-2-ditching-gfwl-for-steamworks/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/09/resident-evil-5-dead-rising-2-ditching-gfwl-for-steamworks/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/09/resident-evil-5-dead-rising-2-ditching-gfwl-for-steamworks/#comments
Capcom is planning to release updates for the Windows PC versions of Resident Evil 5, Dead Rising 2, and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record, replacing the trio's Games for Windows Live features with Steamworks support.

Originally embedded in featured games as a way to manage DRM, achievements, and multiplayer support, the Games for Windows Live service began winding down after Microsoft disabled its Marketplace features last year. Though the service itself remains operational even after its rumored shutdown date, many publishers have opted to replace GFWL support with alternate solutions over the past year.

Capcom announced that Steamworks support for Resident Evil 5, Dead Rising 2, and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record is coming "early next year." Players who own the Games for Windows Live versions of these three games will automatically transition to Steamworks editions following Capcom's planned updates.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomdead-rising-2dead-rising-2-off-the-recordgames-for-windows-livepcresident-evil-5steamworksupdateTue, 09 Sep 2014 16:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/05/28/retail-pc-versions-of-super-street-fighter-4-ae-lose-dlc-in-gfwl/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/05/28/retail-pc-versions-of-super-street-fighter-4-ae-lose-dlc-in-gfwl/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/05/28/retail-pc-versions-of-super-street-fighter-4-ae-lose-dlc-in-gfwl/#commentsSuper Street Fighter 4 Arcade Edition transitions to Steamworks on May 30, ahead of the suspected shutdown of Games of Windows Live. Sadly it's a hundred hand slap for those who bought physical copies of the PC fighter, as they'll lose their DLC in the process.

That's because the disc version on store shelves is tied to GFWL rather than Steam, so DLC bought or obtained through GFWL won't transfer to the new Steam-based version. Capcom says GFWL owners can at least redeem a new Steamworks version of SSF4AE by activating their product codes on Steam. Also, the GFWL version will stay active but presumably lose online services following the transition to Steamworks later this week. As for Steam version owners, they'll receive the new Steamworks-based game automatically.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomgames-for-windows-livepcsteamSteamWorkssuper-street-fighter-4-arcade-editionWed, 28 May 2014 07:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/26/steam-developers-can-set-up-their-own-sales-hide-your-wallet/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/26/steam-developers-can-set-up-their-own-sales-hide-your-wallet/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/26/steam-developers-can-set-up-their-own-sales-hide-your-wallet/#comments
Steamworks developers now have the option to set up their own sales, and they can opt into Steam weeklong deals at discount percentages of their choosing. Valve announced the new sale system in the private Steamworks Development forum, as spotted by Reddit user Sharkiller. According to Valve:

"With new Steamworks tools, you can configure your own discounts for custom sale periods or opt in to take part in upcoming weeklong sales. Once configured, the discounts will automatically start at the time specified." Developers can book weeklong or custom sales up to two months ahead of time, and custom sales can run for up to two weeks.

Valve launched Greenlight in 2012 to deal with the influx of indie (and larger) games vying for spots on Steam, and it started Steam Early Access in 2013, allowing developers to sell beta and alpha versions of their games, a la Kickstarter. Steam is at the heart of the indie PC bubble, and developers fear that the service could become overpopulated soon. Retro City Rampage developer Brian Provinciano explains how gaming's deep-discount culture can have a negative impact on indies:

"The big challenge we now face is saturation, quality and protecting platforms from the race to the bottom, which happened to mobile. It's been a bit concerning to see that this most recent Steam Holiday Sale saw developers doing deeper discounts than last year, no doubt in an effort to try and rise in the charts against the ever-increasing competition. However, it's a very slippery slope, and if this continues, it will once again become less viable to be indie."

For now, consider putting your wallet in the freezer. For your own sake.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>discountIndieLinuxmacpcsalesalesSTEAMSteamWorksvalveWed, 26 Feb 2014 19:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/24/joe-danger-joe-danger-2-the-movie-somersaulting-onto-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/24/joe-danger-joe-danger-2-the-movie-somersaulting-onto-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/24/joe-danger-joe-danger-2-the-movie-somersaulting-onto-pc/#comments
Joe Danger's latest daredevil stunt is to ride both his games, Joe Danger and Joe Danger 2: The Movie, onto PCs via Steam. UK indie studio Hello Games told us a number of tweaks are coming to the PC versions, including Big Picture Mode and Steamworks support. The latter is for the games' level editors. which on PC feature "all the secret controls" Hello Games used to build both tricksters.

Both games will support gamepad, mouse and keyboard controls. Other tweaks and additions include ghost records of other players for both games, and new levels. Prices and release dates are still to come.

"It's weird, PC is actually Joe Danger's birthplace," Hello Games' Sean Murray told us. "We couldn't get hold of devkits when we started out, so I coded my first ever PC engine for the original Joe Danger, and we ended up developing the entire game on PC. I feel like the PC version has been brewing forever - but only played by four of us here in the office."

We expect a few more people will be playing it when it comes to Steam. We gave the XBLA version of Joe Danger 2: The Movie a wheelie good four stars in our review, saying that it does the two things puzzle-racers should do: " tug at your need to beat them, and then tug at your need to beat them better."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>big-picture-modehello-gamesjoe-dangerjoe-danger-2-the-moviejoe-danger-the-moviepcsteamsteamworksFri, 24 May 2013 07:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/29/modern-warfare-3-will-employ-valves-steamworks/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/29/modern-warfare-3-will-employ-valves-steamworks/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/29/modern-warfare-3-will-employ-valves-steamworks/#comments
It should come as a shock to no one, but Activision's announced Modern Warfare 3 will employ the tactical suite known as Steamworks. Developed by government contractor Valve in an underground bunker in Washington ... state, this secret technology will be the first line of support for soldiers in the field. It will help them connect with teammates and track down enemies far more efficiently. It will also let you mute Frank because what doesn't he get about this being a Silent Op?! We get it, Frank. Your cats do stuff.

As previously noted, dedicated servers are supported -- though we're not really sure how to fit that into our big military analogy here. Finally, gone are the days where you had to carry a Sharpie into the field to mark little dashes on your helmet for each bogey you downed. Now you've got achievements and stat-tracking, for quick and easy comparisons with your friends and the overall military at large. Remember: a good soldier is constantly trying to be a more gooder soldier than the other good soldiers around him. Or something.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisioncall-of-duty-modern-warfare-3infinity-wardmodern-warfare-3pcsledgehammer-gamessteamsteamworksvalveMon, 29 Aug 2011 22:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/26/counter-strike-global-offensive-to-have-cross-play-for-ps3-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/26/counter-strike-global-offensive-to-have-cross-play-for-ps3-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/26/counter-strike-global-offensive-to-have-cross-play-for-ps3-pc/#commentsCounter-Strike: Global Offensive will officially feature cross-platform play between the PS3, PC and Mac, Kotaku reports. To make the battlefield fair, PS3 players will be able to play with a keyboard and mouse; to make the battlefield completely favor PC/Mac users, PS3 players will also have the option of using a Move motion controller. Xbox 360 players will be able to play with a 360 controller, and maybe a live cat if they can figure out how to plug it in correctly (Protip: tail first.)

Valve bossman Gabe Newell has said he'd like to implement Steamworks on Xbox 360, but Microsoft has repeatedly resisted, instead placing restrictions on Xbox Live functionality. Global Offensive is Valve's second title after Portal 2 to use Steamworks on the PS3, and no one has burned down the Sony servers yet. Well, mostly.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>counter-strike-global-offensivecross-platformgabe-newellmacmicrosoftpcplaystationps3SteamWorksxboxFri, 26 Aug 2011 17:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/18/skyrim-will-feature-steamworks-support-also-an-adorable-dog/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/18/skyrim-will-feature-steamworks-support-also-an-adorable-dog/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/18/skyrim-will-feature-steamworks-support-also-an-adorable-dog/#comments
A recently released packshot of the PC version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim carried a Games for Windows masthead, leaving some of the gaming community worried that it would also use the Games for Windows Live DRM system. Apparently, that's not the case: Bethesda's Pete Hines confirmed to PC Gamer that it wouldn't use GFWL, and the company's official Twitter account double confirmed that it would instead implement Steamworks. That is, like, so much confirmation.

If you don't really care about things like PC DRM solutions or, um, PCs in general, you might find the screenshots posted below a little more scintillating. There's a picture of a dog in one of them! A wonderful, wonderful dog.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Bethesda-Softworksdrmelder-scrolls-5games-for-windows-livepcskyrimsteamworksthe-elder-scrolls-v-skyrimThu, 18 Aug 2011 19:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/13/we-put-steam-in-your-rage-so-you-can-rage-while-you-steam-and-no/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/13/we-put-steam-in-your-rage-so-you-can-rage-while-you-steam-and-no/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/13/we-put-steam-in-your-rage-so-you-can-rage-while-you-steam-and-no/#comments
Bethesda is putting the Rageback in cloud storage, announcing yesterday that id Software's FPS will use Steamworks on PC. Confirmation came via the Bethesda Twitter, which simply stated, "Since folks are asking... we can confirm that RAGE will use Steamworks on PC." Steamworks will allow Rage developers to take advantage of the Steam client, including DRM, voice communication, multiplayer hosting and achievement features.

This was all almost an impossible dream -- in 2008 id Software and EA had a publishing agreement to release Rage through the EA Partners program, which, today, would mean a release on Origin and no love for Valve. In 2009 id was purchased by ZeniMax Media, Bethesda's parent company, ending the EA agreement and landing us with Steamy love for Rage. Or Rageful love for Steam. Either way, it's hot.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Bethesda-SoftworksEAElectronic-Artsid-SoftwarepcrageSteamSteamWorksvalveSat, 13 Aug 2011 13:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/09/deus-ex-human-revolution-available-for-pre-order-on-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/09/deus-ex-human-revolution-available-for-pre-order-on-steam/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/09/deus-ex-human-revolution-available-for-pre-order-on-steam/#comments
Square Enix has officially announced that the PC version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution will be available through Steam, complete with all of the extras and discounts that are pretty standard on the service nowadays. That includes Steamworks features like auto-updates, achievements and Steam Cloud integration for saves. The Augmented Edition will also be available, with a digital art book, special trailers and downloads.

The standard edition is available for pre-order at $44.99 (10 percent off the usual price) with the Augmented Edition at $53.99 (normally $59.99). That's dandy, but how much do we have to pay to get the game installed on one of those implants in our brains?

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>augmented-editiondeus-ex-human-revolutionEidos-Montrealpcsquare-enixsteamsteam-cloudsteamworksMon, 09 May 2011 23:05:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/08/buy-dungeon-siege-3-on-steam-get-the-first-2-games-free/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/08/buy-dungeon-siege-3-on-steam-get-the-first-2-games-free/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/08/buy-dungeon-siege-3-on-steam-get-the-first-2-games-free/#comments
Steam is offering the first two Dungeon Siege titles gratis should you choose to purchase the third entry in the series through Valve's digital distribution platform. Locking in your purchase now will grant you access to the first two games immediately, prior to the newly announced June 21 launch date for Dungeon Siege 3.

On top of that, Valve and Square Enix revealed that Dungeon Siege 3 will employ the Steamworks suite, adding "auto-updating, Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud support, downloadable content and more" to Obsidian's upcoming action-RPG. For the full skinny, cast your cloak of click-through to check out the press release past the jump.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dungeon-siege-3obsidianobsidian-entertainmentpcrpgsquare-enixsteamsteamworksvalveFri, 08 Apr 2011 21:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/valve-introduces-steam-guard-to-fight-acount-phishing-and-hijack/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/valve-introduces-steam-guard-to-fight-acount-phishing-and-hijack/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/valve-introduces-steam-guard-to-fight-acount-phishing-and-hijack/#comments
What's Steam's "number one support issue" according to Valve's Gabe Newell? "Account phishing and hijacking," says the boss. In an effort to combat the theft of digital goods, Valve has announced Steam Guard, a new service that allows users to restrict account management to a specific Intel-powered PC.

Using Intel Identity Protection Technology (IPT), a hardware-based feature available in second generation Intel Core processors, Steam Guard users will be notified whenever a different PC attempts to log into or modify their account settings. This should give Steam users "the account security they need as they purchase more and more digital goods," said the filthy rich Newell.

Because Steam Guard is hardware-reliant, the service will not be available to all Steam users. Still, Valve's Doug Lombardi expects "to see widespread adoption of hardware-based security like Intel IPT by other service providers" in the future. "If as a customer you are buying movies, music, games, or digital goods, you want to know that they are more secure than your physical goods."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>account-securityintelintel-iptmacpcphishingsecuritysteamsteam-guardsteamworksvalveThu, 03 Mar 2011 13:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/15/valves-gabe-newell-discusses-company-profitability-and-getting/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/15/valves-gabe-newell-discusses-company-profitability-and-getting/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/15/valves-gabe-newell-discusses-company-profitability-and-getting/#commentsYou probably don't need company head Gabe Newell to tell you -- as he did Forbes in a recent profile -- that Valve is "tremendously profitable." But did you know that it's "more profitable than Google or Apple" (per employee)?

And did you know that Newell has crazy robot eyes?
Okay, okay, he actually got cornea implants instead of "robot eyes," per se -- just as interesting, however, is Newell's post-surgery statement. "Not only could I see again, but I could see better than I ever had before." As Newell suffers from Fuchs Dystrophy, his corneas were slowly degrading before correction. "I felt like I was in a fantasy story. It reminded me of how fast the future is coming at us and from what unexpected directions."

Keeping his eyes on the money, Newell declined to offer any hard numbers as to his company's financial success, though he admitted that "per employee, Valve is more profitable than Google and Apple." To put some context on that, Valve's 250-person company has an estimated value of $2 billion to $4 billion (approximately $8 million to $16 million profit earned per employee), while Apple's 49,400 employees pull in roughly $6.68 million each, and Google's 24,400 earn the company around $8.19 million apiece. [Note: statistics based on current market valuations of Apple and Google, combined with company-provided employee numbers, here and here].

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>digital-distributionforbesgabe-newellmacpcprofilesteamsteamworksvalvevalve-softwareTue, 15 Feb 2011 12:25:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/22/call-of-duty-black-ops-steamworks-support-specs-announced/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/22/call-of-duty-black-ops-steamworks-support-specs-announced/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/22/call-of-duty-black-ops-steamworks-support-specs-announced/#commentsThough it was sort of announced by Treyarch in a post on the Call of Duty forums, Valve has now officially confirmed that Call of Duty: Black Ops will use Valve's Steamworks for auto-updating and achievements. It'll also use the Steam Cloud for storage of profile and configuration settings. The game is available for pre-order now on Steam.

If you're wondering whether your computer will even allow you to play it, Treyarch also announced the minimum specs. You've got 12GB free, right?

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionCall-of-Duty-Black-Opspcsteamsteam-cloudsteamworkstreyarchvalveFri, 22 Oct 2010 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/21/user-created-tf2-items-bring-in-up-to-47-000-for-some-steam-mem/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/21/user-created-tf2-items-bring-in-up-to-47-000-for-some-steam-mem/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/21/user-created-tf2-items-bring-in-up-to-47-000-for-some-steam-mem/#comments
And your mother told you video games were a waste of time! Valve has announced that user-created items in the new Team Fortress 2 Mann Co. Store have brought in positively massive royalties for five contest-winning Steam community members. The five community members included in the initial run of the Mann Co. Store -- Rob Laro, Shawn Spetch, Steven Skidmore, Spencer Kern, and Shaylyn Hamm -- all received royalties ranging from $39,000 to $47,000 after the first two weeks of sales.

Payments were arranged to be deposited directly into each users PayPal account, but their account limits were exceeded "within days." Though Valve worked out other payment methods for three of the creators, two of them personally flew to Seattle to pick up their checks directly from Valve.

The company points to the success of Mann Co. Store as an example of what can be achieved with its new peer-to-peer marketplace, which can be implemented in any Steam game. Said company head Gabe Newell, "Platforms that enable this kind of peer-to-peer exchange of virtual goods and services are going to be enthusiastically received." You can say that again.

When Valve first unleashed its Steam digital distribution service nearly eight years ago, we can't imagine the company anticipated the kind of growth it's seen. Valve announced this morning that Steam account holders top 30 million in number, and the service has seen its sixth straight year of over 100 percent growth in unit sales versus the previous year.

This year's account numbers have seen near 200 percent in growth as well, swelled at least in part by the addition of Mac OS X to Steam's list of supported operating systems. Steam's virtual infrastructure has been bolstered as well, with Valve claiming it now has "enough bandwidth to ship a digitized version of the Oxford English Dictionary 92.6 times per second." In case it wasn't clear, that translates to butter smoothTeam Fortress 2 matchmaking.

That mysterious Telltale mashup game teased last week? Telltale laid its cards on the table, revealing ... Poker Night at the Inventory, the second "pilot" game from the adventure publisher, which brings Team Fortress 2's Heavy, Penny Arcade's Tycho, Homestar Runner's Strong Bad, and Sam & Max's Max together for a little good-natured gambling. Now, we know what you're thinking. How can Strong Bad play cards with boxing gloves on?

Poker Night at The Inventory features fully voiced characters utilizing Telltale's dynamic dialog system," according to the announcement. "All the characters will talk trash, give unique tells, and react to the game dynamically as it is being played, providing a unique experience with each round played." It also features Steamworks integration, a first for the publisher. Oh, and pre-orders from Telltale for the fall release ($4.95!) come with coupons for 25% off your order. If we knew the first thing about poker, we'd totally relate that to a hand of cards you'd be confident about holding.

Ubisoft's RUSE will not use the publisher's controversial "always on" DRM when the game attempts to make its latest release date in September. Instead, the PC version of RUSE will use Valve's Steamworks API to, as the publisher puts it, "offer the best community experience to players." The game will require an initial online activation, but the single-player game should be playable offline thereafter.

Following up with Ubisoft, the company tells Joystiq that it will "continue to use the Ubisoft protection system for most PC games." We'll have to wait and see if the publisher stands by its DRM policies for future high-profile PC titles, or if its commentary is just a, well, you know.

Firaxis has passed along the system requirements for its upcoming game, Civilization 5. Here's the good news: you won't need a Crysis-level PC to assert your dominion over others. Bad news? It's not September 21 yet.

Valve has singlehandedly reinvigorated the Mac gaming world by making its Steam content delivery service compatible with the Mac. It has been steadily populating the service with Mac-friendly versions of its mega-popular games; however, apparently that isn't enough. Now Valve is going to help other developers make Mac games, by releasing elements of its graphics code.

Business development director Jason Holtman told GamesIndustry.biz that Valve will release some code to developers signed on with the company's Steamworks infrastructure, in order to expedite the development of Mac games (and thus speed up the population of Steam). "So our Steamworks partners will have access to some of the hard work that we do to get our games up on Mac," Holtman said, "and they'll be able to incorporate that into their games -- and our hope is it gets them there faster."

Holtman also provided clues as to the success of Steam's Mac edition, stating that "we're seeing between a 15 and 20 percent increase in games that have a Mac version on Steam." It turns out that Mac owners will buy games if they're available!

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Jason-HoltmanpcSteamSteam-MacSteamworksValveFri, 30 Jul 2010 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/18/video-interview-sonys-john-koller-on-playstation-plus-steamw/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/18/video-interview-sonys-john-koller-on-playstation-plus-steamw/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/18/video-interview-sonys-john-koller-on-playstation-plus-steamw/#comments
In the first half of our video interview with John Koller, we talked about PSP, Sony's expectations for the PSP Go, and a new marketing direction for the portal. In the second half of our video interview with Sony's John Koller, we chat about some of E3's key surprises, including PlayStation Plus and Steamworks. What can we expect from Sony's new partnership with Valve? How did it come together? Furthermore, what kind of services will PlayStation Plus offer? These questions and more in part two, viewable after the break.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>e3-2010john-kollerplaystationplaystation-networkplaystation-plusps3psnpspsteamworksFri, 18 Jun 2010 21:38:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/26/epic-free-unreal-development-kit-adds-steamworks/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/26/epic-free-unreal-development-kit-adds-steamworks/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/26/epic-free-unreal-development-kit-adds-steamworks/#comments
Epic has released an update to its Unreal Development Kit (UDK), the free version of Unreal Engine 3. The update includes a host of new features, but one of the most significant additions is support for Steamworks. According to the changelog, Steam has become the default online system for UDK and will handle online functions like friends, matchmaking and server browsing.

The update also adds Scaleform GFx, which allows game creators to build attractive user interfaces. You can check out a video of Scaleform GFx in action after the break. Head over to Shacknews for the full list of new UDK tweaks.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epicsteamworksudkunreal-development-kitunreal-engineunreal-engine-3Wed, 26 May 2010 05:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/21/steamworks-adding-microtransactions-upped-cloud-storage-limit/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/21/steamworks-adding-microtransactions-upped-cloud-storage-limit/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/21/steamworks-adding-microtransactions-upped-cloud-storage-limit/#comments
As the company itself puts it, "Want to offer your customers a scabbard for their sword? New tires? The latest in night vision goggles? Now you can!" It seems that while we were all up in arms about the added Mac client for Steam and Epic Games giving away its SDK to Steam devs, Valve also slipped out software developer support for microtransactions, not to mention a 100 fold increase in cloud storage limits (from 1MB to 100MB per game).

Joystiq's PC-centric sister site Big Download noticed the additions in a PDF that Valve recently released on an overview site, detailing the changes coming to the Steam digital distribution client in 2010. As for the microtransaction update, Valve promises users the ability to "buy and instantly use the items they want -- all without leaving the game," perhaps opening up the gate to free-to-play/microtransaction-based games on the service. And, maybe more interestingly, leaving open the possibility of free-to-play games based in the Source and Unreal game engines.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cloudcloud-computingdigital-distributionfree-to-playmicrotransactionssteamsteamworkssteamworks-sdkupdatevalveSun, 21 Mar 2010 15:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/11/epic-games-giving-unreal-engine-3-devs-free-steam-sdk-update/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/11/epic-games-giving-unreal-engine-3-devs-free-steam-sdk-update/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/11/epic-games-giving-unreal-engine-3-devs-free-steam-sdk-update/#comments
Carrying on in the longstanding Epic Games tradition of offering up free upgrades to existing products, the developer, publisher and game engine creator announced this morning that it will be adding Steamworks support to Unreal Engine 3. "With Valve offering these services free of charge, the idea of providing the Steamworks SDK [software development kit] to all Unreal Engine licensees was a no-brainer," Epic VP Mark Rein notes in the announcement.

As it turns out, Valve offered up the development tools to UE3 developers (via Epic) without charging a single penny. That said, this isn't just a philanthropic gesture on Epic's part, but rather a strategy aimed at targeting the large stable of games powered by Unreal Engine. "Epic's technology is one of the most widely used engines in the industry and has powered many of the best games created in the past 10 years, on multiple platforms," Valve prez Gabe Newell proclaims.

That's really the crux of it -- bring in the Unreal Engine 3 users and they might stick around to purchase some other games on Steam. It's a bit of a sneaky trap (and a smart business move to boot), but it's one we wouldn't exactly be upset about falling for.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>developmentepicepic-gamesgabe-newellmark-reinpartnershipsteamsteamworkssteamworks-sdkunreal-engine-3valve-softwareThu, 11 Mar 2010 12:58:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/03/valve-teases-apple-announcement-of-something/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/03/valve-teases-apple-announcement-of-something/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/03/valve-teases-apple-announcement-of-something/#comments
We'd love to outright confirm that "OMG, yes, Steam is finally coming to Mac!" but that'd be a lie. Truth is, of the five images that Valve sent out to a handful of outlets (as seen in our gallery below) - each one depicting characters from separate Valve games in some form of faux Mac advertisement (from Half-Life to Left 4 Dead and everything in between) - none provide ironclad confirmation of our suspicion that the developer is likely porting Steam over to OS X.

That said, given the presence of six dots at the bottom of each of the five images we've seen so far, suggesting an iTunes-like image gallery with six images, we're hoping for an actual news release in the not-too-distant future ... possibly via that sixth image. For now, we've put in a call to Valve and will be speculating wildly in the meantime. Check out the five screens so far in the gallery below and get to the speculating with us, won't you?

Update: Valve kindly sent over the last image, which unfortunately doesn't "OMG confirmed!" our guesses. It is, however, the coolest (fake) ad yet.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>half-lifehalf-life-2left-4-deadportalsteamSteam-Macsteamworksteam-fortress-2valveWed, 03 Mar 2010 15:55:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/19/valve-announces-metro-2033-will-use-steamworks/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/19/valve-announces-metro-2033-will-use-steamworks/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/19/valve-announces-metro-2033-will-use-steamworks/#commentsValve has announced that THQ's Metro 2033 will join the growing list of titles that support Steamworks. The PC version of the game will offer a number of Steamworks features, including Achievements, updates and DLC. So, you can look forward to earning some sweet, sweet cheevos while exploring the creepy environs of the Russian metro system. And trust us, it is creepy.

It's worth noting that with Steamworks support now official, it's likely that Metro 2033 will also be joining the ranks of downloadable titles that won't be offered by competing services like Impulse and Direct2Drive. If you're particularly loyal to another online distribution service, maybe a free copy of Red Faction: Guerrilla will help grease the hinges on the old wallet.

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Valve knows you, conservative Steam user. You've been holding out for a discount on the already low-priced Torchlight from Runic Games, using the game's lack of Achievements and Steam Cloud support as an excuse to do so, haven't you? Haven't you?!

It's alright (and we're sorry for yelling)! But we had to get your attention to tell you that Steam's benevolent overlords are already thinking a few steps ahead, adding the aforementioned Cheevos and Cloud support in an update last night as well as dropping the game's price by 50% for the duration of the weekend. For $9.99, you can venture into the land of Torchlight and click to your heart's content -- there's even a demo if you're so inclined. The deal last's until Monday, so let's hope you're an expedient Steam user as well as a conservative one.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>achievementsaction-rpgpatchrunic-gamessalesteamsteam-achievementssteam-cloudsteamworkstorchlightupdatevalveSat, 19 Dec 2009 13:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/06/modern-warfare-2-refused-by-digital-distribution-retailers-stea/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/06/modern-warfare-2-refused-by-digital-distribution-retailers-stea/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/06/modern-warfare-2-refused-by-digital-distribution-retailers-stea/#commentsPC gamers aren't the only ones angry about the way Modern Warfare 2 is shaping up. PC retailers, starting with IGN's Direct2Drive download service, have made the bold move to leave piles of money on the table by refusing to sell it. It's not in protest of the dedicated server issue or the multiplayer cap, but rather the fact that the game relies on Steamworks for updates, saving and Achievements; and Direct2Drive isn't thrilled about selling a game that requires the bundling of a competitor's product.

"At Direct2Drive," the statement on what would be the Modern Warfare 2product page reads, "we believe strongly that when you buy a game from us, you shouldn't be forced to install and run a 3rd party software client to be able to play the game you purchased." The site offers an Amazon link to purchase the game, and a $5 coupon for other Activision titles on Direct2Drive.

Impulse and GamersGate won't be offering the Modern Warfare 2 either. Impulse tells VE3D that "the most obvious issue is the forced inclusion of a competitor's store that blocks us from carrying the game."

It'll likely be of no consolation for PC players irked by Infinity Ward's decision to forgo dedicated servers for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to learn that the game will connect to Steam's servers for automatic updates. Nor will the fact that, as a result of IW and Valve's team-up, MW2 will include 50 Steam Achievements to unlock, or that it will use the new Steam Cloud functionality so they can access their full profile and settings no matter what PC they're playing on.

Let's face it -- they're just too steamed.

If you're still planning to break the picket line and buy the PC version of MW2 (be careful, scab!), you'd probably like to know that the game is now available for pre-order via Steam. It's a lot safer than going anywhere near a real store given the number of people who sternly oppose your purchase.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisioncall-of-dutycall-of-duty-modern-warfare-2infinity-wardmodern-warfare-2steamsteam-cloudsteamworksvalveFri, 23 Oct 2009 18:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/20/developers-show-steam-love-as-pitchford-defends-his-criticism/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/20/developers-show-steam-love-as-pitchford-defends-his-criticism/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/20/developers-show-steam-love-as-pitchford-defends-his-criticism/#comments
Just under two weeks ago, Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford let out his less than pleasant feelings regarding digital distribution platform Steam and its owner, Valve Software. Today, Ars Techinca posted a rundown of developers from World of Goo's 2D Boy to Sam & Max's Telltale Games who all feel ... the exact opposite of Pitchford. "If this is exploitation, more please," Audiosurf creator Dylan Fitterer said.

According to Telltale CTO Kevin Bruner, "Steam may be one the greatest things to happen recently ... we put Steam as one of the A-list distribution channels; up there with XBLA and WiiWare." The praise doesn't stop there -- Ars points out that it was unable to find even one developer who would "admit to feeling exploited" by Valve's business practices concerning Steam.

We reached out to Pitchford, who told us, "As a gamer, I love Valve ... as a customer, I love Steam." He clarified, "From an industry perspective, Steam would be even better off if it were a separate company ... trust issues that result from conflict of interest could be mitigated." To Pitchford, it's a question of appearances rather than actual impropriety. "It's just perception within segments of the publishing and development community that, I guess, no one is really talking about."

We've posted Pitchford's entire (and quite lengthy) response after the break. Hopefully we're not alone in hoping everyone will just hug it out.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2d-boyars-technicaaudiosurfborderlandsdigital-distributiondylan-fitterergearboxgearbox-softwarekevin-brunerrandy-pitchfordsteamsteamworkstelltale-gamesvalvevalve-softwareworld-of-gooTue, 20 Oct 2009 17:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/11/left-4-dead-pc-patch-opening-doors-in-crash-course-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/11/left-4-dead-pc-patch-opening-doors-in-crash-course-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/11/left-4-dead-pc-patch-opening-doors-in-crash-course-dlc/#comments Aside from fixing pressing issues like "campaign image not updating correctly when creating a lobby" and increasing "the reliability of the Steam Group server display," Valve's recently released PC patch updates a crucial issue with Left 4 Dead's latest DLC: keeping doors closed. Apparently, during Versus mode in the game's "Crash Course" DLC, players were able to release teammates from "rescue closets," assuredly stopping rampant R. Kelly syndrome. The game may be fixed, but will that cure your urge to micturate on people? Only time will tell.

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CEG (Custom Executable Generation) is Valve's alternative to the pitfalls of DRM and part of Steamworks, the company's free suite of publishing and development tools. What this technology does is register each copy of a game unique to one user, who can then use the title between compatible PCs without any kind of limits or root kits.

Steamworks was also updated with support for in-game DLC and matchmaking, the latter of which many have enjoyed for quite some time in the PC version of Left 4 Dead.

Valve announced its new Steamcloud service last night which will store Steam player data online, allowing gamers to access their save games, keyboard configurations, and any games they've purchased through Steam from anywhere in the universe. RPS attended the mini-press conference at Valve where Gabe Newell and company introduced Steamcloud and wanted to talk a little about all the negative press the PC games market has been getting.

Valve strongly believes that PC at retail is not doomed and explains that when the company holds free weekends for games on Steam, it results in stronger sales at retail; Newell jokes that retail must have some kind of magic. The company says that future innovations for Steam (beyond Steamcloud) include driver auto-updating and the continued expansion of the game catalog.

Valve and Nunchuck Games have tiptoed around caltrops and poison rice balls in order to release Sanzaru Games' "ninja party game" Ninja Reflex over Steam. The game, recently released for both the Wii and DS, leverages Valve's Steamworks tool set, adding some 50 new achievements not found in the previous versions. Even better, the companies hint at an in-game "basket" of Easter Eggs lifted from the Half-Life and Portaluniverse. Whatever that means, we want it.

Beyond the added achievements, the appropriately dubbed "Steamworks Edition" also carries an attractive asking price of just $9.95 $8.95, making the alternative $39.99 Wii and $29.99 DS versions seem laughable by comparison. The game is up on Steam now, and is next on our list of things to get -- right after we finish eating this rice ball.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DSninja-reflexninjareflexnunchuckPCsanzaru-gamessanzarugamessteamsteamworksvalveWiiSat, 22 Mar 2008 01:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/22/overheard-gdc-ken-levine-on-steamworks/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/22/overheard-gdc-ken-levine-on-steamworks/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/22/overheard-gdc-ken-levine-on-steamworks/#commentsFiled under: Features, PC, GDCThroughout his discussion of BioShock's story on Wednesday, Ken Levine referenced the folks at Valve and the top notch work they had done on games like Half-Life 2. Before the talk started we overheard him talking about the Steamworks announcement, and when we joined a large discussion of attendees after the event ended we asked the man himself what he thought.

What do you think of the Steamworks announcement?

"I think the great thing about Valve is they understand you don't have to make every penny off of everybody every second to make the big dollar. Google has a similar approach. You don't feel like you're being constantly fleeced - Valve has a very sophisticated model, they're very smart guys, and I think it's really exciting. It's great for developers. It's great for Valve, it's great for everybody else, and it's great for people making games.

How much do you think Steam helped BioShock?

"I think one of the great things about Valve is that they are developers. I've worked with some big companies, and as developers they're professional, they're on the ball, I can't think of a single mistake that they made. They're taking it very seriously."

Independent Games Festival award finalist, Audiosurf, is now available for pre-purchase on Valve's Steam service. Constantly trying to shake off the "rhythm", "racing" and "puzzle" genre labels we attempt to stick on it, Audiosurf generates three-dimensional tracks out of your music collection, enabling you to "surf" through your favorite tunes while collecting colored blocks.

Audiosurf will launch on February 15th at the price of $9.95 (pre-purchasing saves you 10%), and will include the soundtrack to Valve's The Orange Box. You haven't experienced "Still Alive" quite like this yet, have you?

In a bold move to further establish Steam as the de facto PC gaming service, Valve has unveiled SteamWorks, a "complete suite of publishing tools" they're releasing to the PC development community at large for free ... as in no money. What exactly comprises said suite? Real-time stats on everything from sales (seeya NPD!) to gameplay (charts are fun); encryption tied to product activation (piracy-b-gone); territory control "to help curb gray market"; auto updating to keep your games up-to-date; voice chat for the eloquent discussion of gameplay elements while playing online; matchmaking support, ala Counter-Strike and TF2; "social networking services" like achievements, avatars, etc.; and fancy development tools for things like QA and play testing.

Sure sounds like a lot, right? Devs can pick and choose at will, without giving the fine folks at Valve dollar one so, instead of reinventing the wheel, they can get down to the busy work of making fun games. Those games can be released on Steam (obviously) or even through competing digital distribution and retail channels. Jason Holtman, Valve business director - and winner of the most altruistic businessman of '08 award - told Next-Gen, "By not charging for this, it's just another way to get more people onto Steam and to enjoy all the games. Our motivations here are pretty clear." And with that, Valve has made their second big push to become the de facto PC gaming service, the Xbox Live for PC games if you will. It's your move now, Games for Windows.